By Sophie Hodnett

EVALUATION OF MUSIC MAGAZINE

Before I created my music magazine I looked at existing music magazines, these gave me an insight into what kind of content I needed to include within my magazine double

page spread.

• I realised that there were certain details that music magazines had. It had to include things that were going to be found within the magazine to appeal to the target

audience. I also realised that I had to make my magazine appealing to by using the same house style throughout.

• To get around this I did a questionnaire to find out what colour theme my target audience would like for my music magazine. A typical music magazine contents

page had a table layout and different pages under subtitles, which I then included when making my music magazine.

• On the front cover of the music magazines I researched they all had cover lines and strap lines to sell things within the magazine, I added cover lines to my cover

and 2 strap lines at the top and bottom of my magazine. My central image is posed and is like ones that are normally found on music magazine covers as the person

normally features in the magazine later on.

• My magazine also has a bar code which all real magazines need.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS

OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?1.

My magazine is aimed at teens/young adults so I wanted it to look like something I would want to read myself.

• The music that they are interested in is chart update and new music. Which is the main feature within my magazine.

• I used a general modern theme throughout my magazine which fits in with teens/young adults’ style which is a stereotypical representation or being messy

and unorganised.

• For the front cover I took a close up shot which is of a model posing which fits in with the genre of my magazine, I changed the lighting in the picture to make it

look more professional and fit in with the colour theme of my magazine. My central image is looking laid back and care free wearing fashionable clothes

which reflects what a teenager would usually wear and appear like day to day.

• The fonts that I used throughout my magazine were all scruffy and ruff which reflects the teens appearance. The messy and scruffy layout that I used through

out my magazine is reflected to the attitude of my target audience and this is what they said they wanted when doing my questionnaire. The cover lines that I put on my front cover where simple but contain the interesting parts of the magazine to

appear to my target audience.

• I avoided using big blocks of text on my contents page and double page spread, so I added images to add more interest and prevent readers getting bored.

 HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?2

.

I researched other music magazines before making my own which gave me key ideas as what kind of house style and colours other products used.

I think that my magazine was inspired by a number of publications including Kerrang, NME and VIBE for the use of layout in my design. I think my music

magazine would sell well in the shops as it has all the features that teens/young adults want to read about when it comes to music. I think my

music magazine is different to others as it mainly features on the charts and new music which you don’t normally find in music magazines such and

NME.

WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION MIGHT BE DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?3.

My target audience is 16-22 year olds and both genders as my magazine includes all the recent music with appeals to both genders.

• The readers will generally be interested in new music and the charts. Parents of the readers will fall into the B/C1 grouping as the reader will rely on the parents for finance, However some readers may work part time as they are either in college or

at university.

• The people who read this magazine will have a good social life and enjoy having fun whilst listening to the latest new music.

WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT?

4.

• I attracted my audience through the use of colour, image choice, layout and house style. The colours I used were dull with a highlight of blue to add life to the black and white image to catch the eye of readers. I have used the colour blue to high

light the important parts which will draw attention to them.

• The font that I used was messy and scruffy looking which works with my main image. I changed the colouring to my main image to keep it neutral and not to over

powering which is often used in most music magazines.

• The font for my mast head it messy and looks like it has paint splatted around the outside which appears to be modern and matches with the attitude of a

teenager/young adult.

• I have put the cover lines down the right hand side of the image so it doesn’t take any attention off the main image which is one of the main attractions to my target

audience.

Video to also watch:

HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR AUDIENCE?

5.

When creating my magazine music magazine cover, contents page and double page spread I learnt how to use a new InDesign software which was a new experience. As the lessons went on I generally got more confident at using it and soon became a lot quicker. I used a digital camera to take the images for my front cover, contents page and double page spread, I found

that the pictures were good quality and didn’t need much adjusting. When it came to my front cover I used Photoshop to change the colouring I my main image which seemed simple to do. I also made a bar code meaning using a website which I had never used before, which came in useful if ever needing

to do it in the future.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES FROM THE PROCESS OF

CONSTRUCTING THIS PRODUCT?

Using InDesign

Images I took using a digital camera

6.

Since creating my student magazine my knowledge of using InDesign has increased considerably, as I now know how insert and install new fonts, insert a bar code and much more. I learnt how to do new thing on photo shop when making my background, I got a block of colour and changed the texture of it, which I then used as my background through out my magazine. Overall my understanding of the software has improved greatly throughout this project because at the start I'd barely used Photoshop and now I have produced a professional looking magazine contain many different element such as bar code, new fonts and different backgrounds which has given it an overall professional look.

LOOKING BACK AT YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK, WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE

LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM IT TO THE FULL PRODUCT?

7.

My final front cover, which demonstrates all the different applications I used.